Shoe tree



0- J. BRITTON SHOE TREE Fviled Dec. 26, 194'7 TOR.

VEN R/ 77'0/V/ Bm f im Afro/@NEWS Patented Aug. 8, 1950 .aeorporatioin-ofalew Yorkv l appiicationneember 2e, rari, serial Nar-'9338s This invention relates `to .shoe trees.

Wearers of .shoes .frequently .possess zseveral pairs .of shoe trees of .different mates, andayetiin some .respects similar -but different, `with `the result that trees .of diierent shapes `.or designs 'are sometimes fitted 4in .a .pair of shoes. Sometimes the various shoe trees become separated with relation to mates with a consequent intermingling of trees of different pairs, necessitating handling l*of various'trees to'get together propertree'mates on which to t a particular pair of shoes.

One object .of the invention -is to provide as an article of manufacture a .pair of like or mated shoe trees coupled swingly .together by ashort flexible element having its ends confinedwithin the bodiesof the shoe trees whereby to maintain the trees permanently connected together.A

Another object of the invention is -to provide a connection between a pair of shoe trees whereby to maintain the trees ltogetheri-n or out of shoes,A

for theconvenience of .the user.

A still further object of the inventionis toprovide means for connecting a pair of like or mated shoe trees permanently together whether in or out of shoes and which may be used as a means for hanging or suspending the pair of trees with or without shoes treed thereon from a hook or other support.

It is still further designed to provide a connector for coupling a pair of shoe trees closely together and by means of which the pair of trees with or without shoes thereon may be readily vstored or carried from one place to another.

The invention, with other objects and advantages thereof, and the particular construction, combinations and arrangements of parts comprising the same, will be understood from the hereinafter contained detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof and illustrating one embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a iront elevational view showing a pair of shoe trees suspended or hung from a suitable support;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the shoe trees, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the heel section of the shoe tree taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, it will of course be understood that minor changes and modications may be made in the particular cony struction `:showin/.and .the invention :may .be iembodied fin Aother forms .as Iwill appeal :to ithose skilled in :the fart and falling ywithin `the-scope :of

the appended ic'laim without departing zfrom the .spirit of 4the invention. f

Il land laterally .expansible toe-section portions 12ga-nd: 3

mounted on guide :pins 4 and 5 .and-mormally-J'ex- .panded .apart byfa spring 6 arranged :between the pins .4 and 5. v v

.Each heel fsection'lhas .aailongitudinal :bore 1 in whichis .'slidably mounted a 'tubular connector zrod :8. iT-hisfrod18vispiyoted at `the forward .fend thereof vto the :respective lvpin 5 .of the .respective toecsection :The .rod 8 has .oppositely Adisposed slots..9..fand 1110 between the fendsrthereof., which slide over a pin II mounted transversely in the respective heel section and which pin II is engageable with the ends of said slots 9 and I0 to limit movements of the rod 8 upon movements of the toe sections toward and away from the respective heel sections.

A normally expansible spring I2 is mounted at one end in a seat I3 in each heel section. The seat I3 is disposed in substantially longitudinal alignment with the longitudinal bore 1. The spring I2 has its forward end extending into the longitudinal bore 1 in engagement with the in ner end of the rod 8 to normally force said rod outwardly.

A substantially vertical bore I4 is formed adjacent the rear of each heel section and opens upwardly from the bottom of the heel section and terminates slightly short of the top of the heel section and intersects with the longitudinal bore 1, said spring I2 extending across :said bore I4, as shown.

An aperture I5 is formed in the top of each heel section near the rear thereof and in alignment with said substantially vertical bore I4 and which aperture is smaller in diameter than the diameter of said bore I4 and communicates with the respective bore I4 adjacent the top of the heel section and abovethe respective spring I2 forming an internal shoulder IB in each heel section. Before the springs I2 of the respective heel sections are placed in operative positions in their respective seats I3 and the ends of the respective.

.be maintainedin connected relation Within the substantially vertical bores I4 against accidental dislocation or detachment from the shoe trees and against movement of the knotted ends of the connector from the bores .I4 of the trees. The ends of the connectorl C` whether knotted or not are designed to be secured permanently in the upper ends of the substantially ver? tical bores I4 and above the respective expansibleV springs I2. A

From the foregoing-it will be seen that I have provided an article `of manufacture consisting of a relativelyshortflexible element of any suitable characterwliich hasl its opposite ends vpermanently `secured within the bodies of two like,

matched or mated shoe trees to permanently connect thetrees together and to provide a connection;by. which Athe -connected pair of trees may be hung. orzsuspended ywith or withoutrshoes thereoniromany `suitable support or which may or similar support.`

What is claimed is:V i i y y In an article of the character described, Aa shoe tree including a heel section having a longitudinal bore and a substantially vertical bore intersecting ,the4 longitudinal .bore intermediate the ends of the latter and terminating short of the top surface of the-heel section, the rear end of the'1'ongitudinal lbore being closed and constituting a seat. atv the rear of said substantially vertical bore andcommunicating with the substantially vertical bore,l the remaining portionof the longitu- I dinal bore communicating with the substantially on a fioorv 4 vertical bore at the front of the latter in alignment with the said seat, a compressible spring located in said longitudinal bore and extending across the substantially vertical bore and at its rear end seated in said seat, the heel section having an aperture at its top leading into said substantially vertical bore centrally of the longitudinal "axisof the latter and smaller in diameter than theria'meter of' the vsubstantially vertical bore, forming an interior shoulder in the latter bore adjacent the top of the heel section, and a suspending and carrying means, including a flexible element passing through said aperture and having a knotted end located in the substantially REFlIRENCESl CITED `The following references vare of record in the le of this Vvpatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num-ber Name Date 1,358,963 McGrath NOV. 15, 1920 2,089,976 MacMichael Aug. 17, 1937 2,303,469` vJanie Dec. 1, 1942 2,340,404: Mllt'ch Feb. 1, 1944 2,376,097 Stamm May l5, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country l Date 360,722 i France May 1, 1906 

